Islamic Morals

Good Manners And The Islamic Behaviour

1 - Morals in the common meaning as discussed in earlier pages2 - Morals in the particular meaning that includes good manners and Islamic behaviour.

It is obvious that one of the ways of advancing the noble Holy aims of Islam in an Islamic society is correct behaviour. The great Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.), addressing the sons of Abdul Muttalib says: You can never gather people around you with your wealth, so treat them with a smile face.

In order to understand to the extent Islam given importance to good behaviour we point out to some of the verses and traditions:

Verses
Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you
And when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace. And most surely you conform yourself to sublime morality.

From this series of verses we learn that the Islamic society too must, like their leaders, attract people towards them and Islam.

Traditions

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is recorded to have said: I have been appointed to carry the greatness of man to perfection.
He has also said: The weightiest of all deeds in the balance of deeds is nice behaviour and manners.

Imam Baqir (a.s.) says: Most perfect from the viewpoint of Faith are those who are good mannered.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: the Faithful Mo-min, on the Day of Judgement, does not present to Allah anything more dear to Allah than good behaviour with people, except the obligatory duties.

Similarly the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says: Nearest to on the Day of Qiyamat, among you will be the one who had the best morals and who had behaved most nicely with his family members.

And Imam Baqir (a.s.) has said: Meeting your brother with a smiling face and removing his trouble is a good deed.

Therefore, in Islamic programmes, orders have been issued for good and nice human behaviour and on the other hand, words have been said regarding good conduct even in wars. Here are some:

Verses
And speak to them kind words.
Kind speech and forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury; and Allah is Self-sufficient, Forbearing.
And let those fear who, should they leave behind them weakly offspring, would fear on their account, so let them be careful of their duty to Allah, and let them speak right words.

Traditions

Imam Baqir (a.s.) has, while explaining the verse qooloo linnaasi husnaa says: O our Shias! Be our beauty! And do not deviate to make us feel ashamed and speak nicely with people and restrain your tongues from foul language and futile talks.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said in this connection: Decorate or beautify yourselves with good behaviour because the residence of nice people in Paradise and beware! Of bad-natured people as they will burn in Hellfire.

Similarly he has also said: Bad behaviour vitiates human deeds just as vinegar spoils honey.

Now that you perused some verses and traditions your attention is being drawn to two other topics too:

A: Good behaviour and a warn human attitude is desired and expected from ever one but it is all the more so in case of the friends of the progeny of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) as the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and his family members were the ideals in this matter of nice behaviour and good nature and, hence, we, their followers, should also be a decoration for them and should never act in a way which may make them disgusted:

B: The well-wishers of our society and the office-hearers of the Islamic Republic and the heads of families should strive to guide our society toward Islamic attitude and to behave mildly and soberly with the ignorant. They must nor get disappointed in the matter of their improvement even if they talk harshly and sarcastically because virtues and good morals do have roots in human nature and it is essential for a gardener to nourish moral plants in a proper manner. Treasures of virtues are hidden in their hearts and expert people want to take out these treasures, because, nature has taught them what a perfect man should possess. Materialism has covered it with a curtain. Therefore a sympathetic teacher wants to remove that barrier and to make man remember what he has forgotten. How nice are the words of Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) in this regard: Remind them of the forgotten bounties… and dig out the pearls of intelligence which are lying hidden in their nature. The Prophets and men of God, before being teachers of the newcomers, are the nourishers of those virtues which are hidden in the heart of humanity and therefore the responsibility of such sympathisers are very crucial and grave. So they must tolerate harsh and hard things and behave nicely with the ignorant.

O Lord! Guide us all so that we may have the virtues and morals of Your Apostles and of our Imams to become their true followers.